Vaporizing generator



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l May 12, 1936.

l INVENTOR. 50x60 W. f/L/J JWM l ATTORNEY.

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Patented May 12, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 7 Claims.

This invention relates to vaporizing generators for hydrocarbon fuelburning devices and it is particularly designed for use in connectionwith lamps, lanterns, stoves and the like and the primary object of theinvention is to provide a more efficient, easily applied vaporizinggenerator than those now in general use. I have found that a vaporizinggenerator can be made more efcient if it is lined with a thin sheet ofabsorbent material,

10 such as asbestos paper and the like, leaving a re1- atively largecentral space in the generator for the accumulation of carbon. This typeof generator distinguishes from the so called packed type in which acoil wire or wick is employed,

because by providing a relatively large carbon accumulating space in thegenerator danger of the generator becoming clogged will be avoided andvaporization of raw fuel in the generator will be enhanced.

With such a generator I prefer to employ a tip cleaning needle on a stemwithin and located longitudinally of the generator tube. Such generatorsrequire removal from time to time for inspectionand repairs and unlesssome means is provided for holding the needle in operative relation withthe generator tube the needle. and

stem will drop out of the tube and become misplaced. Therefore, I haveprovided means whereg by the generator may carry a tip cleaning needleand stem loosely supported therein but held against accidentaldisplacement.

'I'he novelty of the invention will be better understood by reference tothe following description in connection with the drawing in which,

Figure 1 is a detail view of the tip cleaning needle and its stem.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal, sectional, vertical view through avaporizing generator constructed in accordance with my invention appliedto a lamp 40 or lantern.

Figure 3-is a vertical, longitudinal, sectional view through the valveand tip cleaning needle. Referring now to the drawing by numerals ofreference, I designates a font with a fitting 2 appropriately fastenedthereto and having a tube not shown extending down into the font belowthe normal liquid level thereof as is common with such devices. Thefitting is provided with a shutoff valve 3 as will be well understood.The fitting is shown as carrying a fitting 4 provided with bracket 5 tosupport an air tube 6, the offset upper end 1 forming part of a burnernot shown which supports the mantles or other fuel burning device. Themantle support or the burner tips may be of appropriate construction soI have not attempted to show these in the present application. The valve6 is provided with a vertically movable actuator 8 for operating thestem 9 of the tip cleaning needle I0. 'I'he actuator 8 is shown ascomprising a bar with an eye II at its "5 upper end to receive a hookshaped end I2 of the stem 9 and the actuator is operated by a shaft I3passing through a packing gland I4 on the fitting 4. The shaft I3 has acrank I5 engaging a transverse slot I6 in the actuator 8 and its i0opposite end is provided with a handle Il whereby the shaft can beturned to move the actuator longitudinally of the fitting as will beapparent by reference to Figure 2.

The generator consists of an elongatedtube I8 15 having a tip I9 at oneend with a vapor orifice 2II through which vaporized fuel may pass t0mix with air for combustion supplied by the tube 6 as is common to thisclass of devices. The generator tube I8 is provided with a relativelythin sheet 20 lining 2| which lies closely against the inner wall of thegenerator tube to provide a relatively large central space 22, thediameter of which is considerably larger than the stem 9 of the tipcleaning needle. The purpose of this is to permit the free 25 iiow ofhydrocarbon liquid'into the generator and permit the heat from theburner to quickly and evenly Vaporize the raw fuel so that it will bein` condition to afford a suitable fuel content to mix with the airpassing through tube 6 and inasmuch 30 as the central space isrelatively large there can be a considerable accumulation of carbon inthe tube before the efliciency of the generator begins to drop. Withsuch a device, however, a tip cleaning needle stem is liable to becomedis- 35 placed when the generator tube 2I is removed upon loosening thejam nut 23 in the fitting 4 and unhooking the stem from its actuator.Therefore, I have provided a novel means for preventing accidentaldisplacement of tip cleaning needle. 'I'his 40 is accomplished bysliding a collar 24 on the stem the collar having a central opening 25with a diameter considerably greater than the diameter of the stem sothat fuel can pass up through the opening 25 into the generator'.` Thecollar is also 45 provided with a circumferential groove 26. Anothercollar 26A is placed on the stem shown in Figure 1 and is fastenedthereto by a punch or by upsetting with the collar' or the stem in anappropriate manner instead of the collar the stem 50 itself can beslightly upset so that -the upset portion will overlap the end of collar24. The stem with the two collars is now inserted in the generator tubeand the tube is pinched into the groove as indicated at 21 so that thecollar 24 serves as 55 a guide for the stem while the collar 26A acts asa stop to x the amplitude of movement of the tip cleaning needle andstem. It will be noted that the tip I9 is carried by a guide 28 at oneend of the tube and that the guide has a passageway larger than the tiporice to receive the constricted end 29 of the tip cleaning needle sothat the needle I0 will be guided into the orifice 20 because it iscentrally positioned at one end by the guide collar 24 and at the otherby the walls of the guide 28. Therefore, the liability of the needlestriking the bottom of the tip and becoming bent will be eliminated eventhough the generator is removed from the fitting. It will also beobserved that the retractable longitudinal movement of the tip cleaningneedle stem is limited by the collar 24 so when the parts are in theposition shown in Figure 3 the liability of the needle dropping out ofthe generator tube will be eliminated. This is an important feature,because generators, together with their tip cleaning needles are sold asrenewals for use in hydrocarbon fuel burning devices and abviously theadaptability of a tip cleaning needle to become accidentally separatedfrom its tube is a disadvantage but the structure in which the needleand tube is held in cooperative relation at all times simplifies therenewal and handling of the generator.

It will be understood, of course, that when the generator is to beremoved the jam nut 23 is unscrewed from the tting to expose theconnection between the hook l2 and the actuator so that if the jam nutis now removed to dotted line position shown in Figure 2 the generatorcan be swung out to dotted line position and easily removed fromengagement with the opening 3G in the air tube 6 and that when it isdesired to supply a new generator the new generator can be moved upthrough the opening 30 and swung over to full line position shown inFigure 2, whereupon the hook can engage the eye in the actuator and thejam nut can be screwed down to fasten the generator in place. Of course,in order to detach the tip cleaning needle from the actuator the tubemust be slid longitudinally on the stem 9 to expose the connection andit will also be observed that when the tube is back in place it tends tohold the hook against displacement with respect to its actuator.

What I claim is:

1. A replacement part for liquid hydrocarbon fuel burning devicescomprising a liquid hydrocarbon vaporizing generator including. anelongated vaporizingtube having a guide at its discharge end, a tip atthe outer end of the guide having a constricted discharge orifice, astem in the tube having a reduced end provided with a tip cleaningneedle, the reduced end of the stem being movable in the guide with theneedle projectable into the orifice and a stop means within the tube tolimit the outward longitudinal movement of the stem and to permanentlyprevent withdrawal of the needle stem from the generator tube. Y

2. A replacement part for liquid hydrocarbon fuel burning devicescomprising a liquid hydrocarbon vaporizing generator, including anelongated vaporizing tube having a guide at its discharge end, a tip atthe outer end of the guide having a constricted discharge orifice, astem in the tube having a reduced end provided with a tip cleaningneedle, the reduced end of the stem being movable in the guide with theneedle projectable intothe orifice and stop means within the tube tolimit the outward movement of the stem so that the outward movement ofthe stem will be less than the length of the guide.

3. A replacement part for liquid hydrocarbon fuel burning devicescomprising a liquid hydrocarbon vaporizing generator, including avaporizing tube having a discharge tip at one end with a constrictedoutlet orifice, a stern in the tube having a reduced end provided with atip cleaning needle a plug in the tube through which the stem slides anda stop on the stem to contact Y the plug.

4. A replacement part for liquid hydrocarbon fuel burning devicescomprising a vaporizing generator for liquid hydrocarbon fuel Iincludinga vaporizing tube, a discharge tip at one end of the tube having aconstricted orice, a needle carrying stem in the tube in spaced relationwith the tube, providing a relatively large carbon accumulating space,guide means in the tube for maintaining the stem coaxial therewith andmeans for limiting the outward movement of the stem with respect to thetube.

5. A replacement part for liquid hydrocarbon fuel burning devicescomprising a detachable liquid hydrocarbon vaporizing generatorincluding a tube of relatively thin material having an end releasablyattachable to a fuel supply member and having its upper end freelyassociable with a burner part so that when the rst named end is detachedthe generator can be removed, the second mentioned end of the tube beingprovided with a restricted outlet orifice, a reciprocatory needle stemin the tube provided at one end with a cleaning needle for the orice, astop means in the tube and means on the stem for contacting the stopmeans to permanently prevent withdrawal of the needle stem from thegenerator tube.

6. A replacement part for liquid hydrocarbon fuel burning devicescomprising a hydrocarbon vaporizing generator consisting of a tubehaving an open end to be attached to a liquid fuel supply pipe andprovided at its opposite end with a tip orice, a stem in the tube, a tipcleaning needle at one end of the stem the other end of the stemprojecting through the open end of the tube and provided with a hookshaped end to engage a manually operated actuator, and stop means withinthe tube to limit the outward movement of the stem when the generator isdetached from its support and the hook shaped end is free of itsactuator so that the stem will be retained within vthe tube when thegenerator is separated from its support and whereby the tube and stem atall times will be maintained as a unitary structure.

7. A replacement partfor liquid hydrocarbon fuel burning devicescomprising a detachable liquid hydrocarbon vaporizing generatorcomprising a tube having an open end attaolflable'I to a fuel supplymember and its other end free to be loosely associated with a burnerpart, the free end being provided with a restricted outlet orifice, areciprocatory stem in the tube provided with a cleaning needle for theorifice, a hook shaped end on the stem outside the tube for engagementwith a part to actuate it and means for holding the stem within the tubeso that the stem and tube are inseparably associated.

BOYD W. TULLIS.

